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After graduating from college with my bachelor's degree, my first order of business was to swear to myself that I would enroll in grad school. My second order of business was to charge some stuff on my brand-new credit card. My third order of business was to beg the credit card company for an extension. My fourth order of business was to look for a job. Seventeen years and countless bad jobs later, I've slowly come to realize that the "grad school or bust" plan has brought me nothing but the latter.

Ben Godar Legislation that would give police access to Social Security information when investigating identity-theft crimes is moving to the Assembly floor, and police say it would be a valuable aid in stopping the fastest-growing crime they see. The bill, written by Assemblyman Dario Frommer (D--Burbank), would allow police limited access to DMV records to help prove an individual was using a false or stolen Social Security number. The Assembly Appropriations Committee passed it unani- mously, and Frommer said he expects it to reach the floor in the next few weeks.

MAGNOLIA PARK 1920 Clark Ave.: Police are investigating a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. Police said a 15-year-old Burbank boy got into a fight with another boy in the bleachers during cross-country class at John Burroughs High School. Police said the boy swung a rusty, 12-inch hacksaw at the other boy because he was making fun of his clothes. 5000 block of Ledge Avenue: A 43-year-old Burbank man was arrested Monday on suspicion of battery.

Laura Sturza NORTHWEST DISTRICT -- The air around the city will soon get a little cleaner. Construction on Burbank's first compressed natural gas fueling station will start in a few months. When it opens, the pumps will be for city- and privately owned cars. The natural gas cars are a 50% to 95% cleaner-burning fuel alternative, city officials said. About 20 city-owned cars are due to be replaced by November. They do not have to be replaced with alternate fuel vehicles, but the City Council wants to set an example for pollution control, said Bob Van Hazelen, assistant public works director.

The following items were taken from reports filed at the Burbank Police Department: ? ?3400 block of Hollywood Way: A 30-year-old Van Nuys man and 38-year-old Mission Hills woman were stopped for a traffic violation Thursday. Upon inspection, police found burglary tools and someone else?s credit card. The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and the woman for possession of another person?s credit information. ?1200 block of North Myers Street: ABurbank man reported that his 1991 Chevy truck was stolen from in front of his home Thursday.

Ryan Carter BURBANK -- Consumers will need Sgt. Santa once again this year to keep an eye out for seasonal crooks. As eager holiday shoppers converge on local shopping centers for big discounts on coveted items, the seasonal rush by thieves on local shops and unsuspecting consumers has apparently also begun. "This tends to be the case every year during the holiday season," Burbank Police Sgt. Bill Taylor said. "People buy more, and people steal more."

This year, perhaps more so than in any other in recent memory, people can relate to the desperation of Mary and Joseph as they searched frantically for shelter on the eve of Jesus' birth. No assets, poor, and completely dependent on the generosity of others, they came to rest in a stable, beaten back by the harsh realities of even the small town of Bethlehem. As the economy continues to weigh heavily on households — lost jobs, cut hours, lost health insurance — and with little hope for improvement in the near term, more and more people have had to settle into their own stables and accept the humility and frustrations that come with it. It's the range of impact that makes it all so staggering.

Jenna Bordelon BURBANK -- Another person was arrested and arraigned following a raid on a suspected drug lab that led to three earlier arrests. James Ramses Bishara, 26, of Los Angeles pleaded not guilty Monday in Burbank Superior Court to charges stemming from his alleged involvement in a clandestine drug ring. Bishara was being held in county jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. A suspicious fire Nov. 27 led investigators from the Burbank Police Department, the state Department of Justice and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department to an address in the 4300 block of Sarah Street.